He pulled a gun to steal shrimp, police say

A man was in Fresno County Jail on Thursday night after stealing shrimp at gunpoint from a grocery store, police said.

Officers were called to a Save Mart market on Clinton Avenue west of Highway 99 just before 8 a.m. Wednesday for calls of a robbery that just took place, police Lt. David Madrigal said.

Employees told officers a man came into the store and began picking up frozen shrimp, which is priced at around $7.99 a pound, and meat products and walked out the front door without paying. A few employees attempted to stop the suspect as he walked to his car, where he retrieved a handgun and pointed it at the workers. They backed away and the man drove off.

Store surveillance video showed the suspect and his car, and police were able to find an address where they tracked down the suspect in the yard.

Joseph Uulopa, 31, was arrested. Police say surveillance video tied Uulopa to a robbery Sept. 17 at the Smart & Final grocery store on Blackstone and Clinton avenues, and items found at the home Wednesday morning linked Uulopa to both robberies.

This story was originally published September 21, 2017 at 9:18 PM with the headline "He pulled a gun to steal shrimp, police say."